Thread controlling and unwinding device for sewing-machine.



No. 849,140. EATENTED APR. 2, 1907. J, H. LA BATE. THREAD CONTROLLINGAND UNWINDING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.)

APPLICATION FILED DEO.21.'1906. I

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ms "cums PETERS 5a., WASYHHYLTION, v, Q

UNTTE El STATES ATENT FFTQEE.

JAMES H. LA BATE, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD CONTROLLING AND UNWINDING DEVICE FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification uf Letters Patent.

ratented April 2, 1907.

Application filed December 21,1906. Serial No. 848,890.

To (tZZ Zl/h/OYTZ/ it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES 11. LA BATE, of Brockton, in the county ofPlymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Thread Controlling and Unwinding Devices forSewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide means for supporting aspool of thread on .he arm of a sewing-machine for guiding the threadfrom he spool to the head and tension devices of the machine in suchmanner as to xnsure a free and regular delivery of the thread and toprevent the possibility of coils or loops of the thread dropping overthe end or ends of the spool and becoming entangled with the spool andits support.

The invention consists in the improvement which I will now proceed todescribe and cl aim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a side elevation showing the arm of a sewingmachinewith my improved unwinding device applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents afront elevation showing the unwinding device removed from thesewing-machine arm.

The same letters of reference indicate the same arts in all the figures.

In t 1e drawings, (t represents the arm of a sewing-machine.

1) represents a vertical stud or spindle affixed to the arm andprojecting upwardly therefrom.

0 represents a head or block detachably secured to the stud 5, .he blockbeing preferably provided with an aperture adapted to receive the studand with a setscrew e, adapted to detachably secure the block to thestud. f represents a bent rod, one end of which is aflixed to the block0 the rod rising from the lock and being bent at a point above the sameto form a horizontal arm or spindle f, adaped to pass through the boreof the spool g, the spool being therefore horizontally supported andadapted to rotate on a horizontal axis formed by the spindle f. Thespindle is provided with suitable stops h h to confine the spool againstloose endwise movement, said stops being preferably collars detachablysecured by set-screws or otherwise to the spindle.

i represents a bent rod afiixed at one end to the block 0 by means of aset-screw or otherwise, the rod extending vertically upward from saidblock and being bent at a point above the block and above the spindle fto form a horizontal arm t, located over the spindle 7. To said arm isaffixed a thread-guide j, consisting of a finger suitably affixed,detachably or otherwise, to the arm i and projecting downwardlytherefrom, the said finger having an orifice j, through which the threadit from the spool is adapted to pass. As shown in Fig. 2, thethread-guide j is directly over the longitudinal center of the spool, sothat a stretch of the thread passing from either end of the spool isinclined inwardly from the adjacent end of the ipool, as indicated bythe dotted lines m min The thread passes from the spool-through theguide and from thence to the usual or any suitable guide n on thesewing-machine head, the thread passing from the guide n to the needleand engaging the usual or any suitable tension devices on its way to theneedle. As the thread unwinds it passes upward to the guide, theportions drawn from the ends of the spool being inclined inwardly towardthe center of the spool, so that the thread never overh angs or projectsoutwardly over the ends of the spool, and consequently cannot becomecaught between the ends of the spool and the spindle on which the spoolis supported.

I have here shown the device adapted to accommodate one spool; but it isobvious that the number of spool holding spindles and thread-guides maybe increased to accommodate any desired number of spools, each spindlehaving a corresponding thread guide, the two relatively arranged, ashere shown.

The stops lb 72, are relatively, adjustable to accommodate spools ofdifferent lengths, and one or both of said stops may be movable on thespindle f and provided with holding means, such as a set-screw h, forsecuring it at any desired adjustment, although, if desired, the innerstop may be fixed or immovable on the spindle, the outer stop beingadjustable toward and from the inner stop. The thread-guide iscorrespondingly adjustable on the arm or holder i, so that it may becentralized relatively to the stops it h whatever may be the relativepositions oi" said stops, the thread-guide being provided with means,such as a set-screw 72/, for securing it in any position to which it maybe adjusted.

It will be observed that the device as a Whole comprises an attachmentwhich is capable of being applied to or removed from the ordinaryvertical spool-spindle, such as that shown at b in the drawings. I n.other Words, instead of putting a spool on the vertical spindle b, as isthe most customary method, the block or base 0 is applied to saidspindle and secured there, said block or base having adjustably securedto it the spoolspindle and the threatbguide. By this construction thedevice as a whole can be removed from the sewing-machine Withoutchanging the relative positions of the spoolspindle and. thethread-guide, thereby enablin the attachment to be reapplied to thespindle b expeditiously and Without having to readjust the relativepositions of the spoolsupport and overhead thread-guide.

I claim-- 1. An unwinding device for sewing-machines, comprising asubstantially horizontal spoolspindle having stops to prevent end- Wisedisplacement of the spool, said stops being adjustable to conform tospools of different lengths, a threaduide located above the spindle, andmeans for holding the threadseaiao guide in a plane between thevertical. planes of the ends of the spool, said. supporting means havingprovisions for laterally adjusting the thread-guide to correspond withadjustments of said stops to centralize it for spools of diilerentlengths.

2. An unwinding device for sewing-mar chines, comprising two bentstandards, each having a vertical supporting portion, and a iorizontalportion. extending laterally therefrom, one of said horizontal portionsconstituting a spool-spindle, and being provided with spool-stops, Whilethe other horizontal portion constitutes a thread-guide holder, a baseto Which said standards are attached, said base having means forengagement with the frame of the machine, and a thread-guide aflixed tothe said holder, and located in a plane between the vertical planes ofthe ends of the spool.

In testimony whereof I have tffiX6d my signature in presence of tWoWitnesses.

JAMES H. LA BATE. Witnesses FANNIE B. LA BATE, SEWELL P. HOWARD.

